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me thinks i've been foolish

M

Mr. Bob

Member
in the last 40 years i have combined with, raked with, and baled with low slung tractors( MF 65, Ford 860, presently owned Ford 2N) all these have the under body exhausts. i was raking hay the other day for a neighbor and was noticing how close the exhaust pipes were to the dry hay. I"m going to presently buy a fire extinguisher and mount in a handy place on my tractor. should have done it long ago.

mr. bob
 
Mr. Bob, put a vertical exhaust on it.


Muffler and Pipe Assembly - Vertical one-piece muffler and pipe assembly, custom design. For 9N, 2N, 8N. Pipe inlet flared, outlet 1-12 O.D. (Part No: M200) $52.22 [Enlarge Picture]
 
My dad and I farmed with a Ford 8N tractor many (50)years ago, with an exhaust pipe and muffler under the axle. One day in the early spring Dad had a field of cornstalks catch fire from the tractor. It didn't take many days before that little tractor had a vertical exhaust system. But you can still start field fires with vertical pipes. And I'm speaking from first hand experience!
 
When I first started mowing all I had was a TO-20. It also had a down pipe. When I saw smoking weeds wrapped around the pipe I moved it to a up position right out of the manifold Stan
 
Ya getting one is not a bad idea but it will only be enough to maybe save the tractor but the field will go up in flames fast. I would only use a tractor with vertical exhaust for raking and baling hay
 
Mr. Bob, even if you do put a vertical exhaust on, it's still a good idea to have the fire extinguisher. I've seen bearings cause fires too, not to mention electrical and fuel leaks. I'd recommend a 2 1/2 gal. water extinguisher, because you can refill it yourself very easily, you only need water and a air compressor that will go up to 100psi. You can also add some dish soap (Dawn or Joy) and that will help it work on oil or fuel better. just add a tablespoon or two. It also help it soak into a bale if your baler starts a fire. One on the tractor and one on the baler would be ideal. You can often find them used, since there usually made from stainless steel they last forever. What ever you do, don't buy a small one, you will only have one shot, go big!
 
No tractor should be without a fire extinguisher. I heard tales in my youth of Ford Ns setting fire to hay. We had a New Holland baler w/Wis air cooled V4 which would catch on fire occasionally when baling dry dusty hay. Chaff got between the engine cooling fins and the shroud.
 
As a much younger fellow I had the experience of driving a little gray Ford tractor ahead of a wagon while older fellows were picking up bales. Soon into it I thought one of my feet was on fire - from the exhaust pipe traveling right beneath one of my feet. I don't recall which foot.
 
I remember years back when Catilitic converters were just being installed on cars. A letter came from Hesston to all their dealers, stating that they could cause fires when parked in hay and grain fields. Our territiry service rep. told us that Hesston lost several company vehicles which prompted the letter to dealers and another one to all company personel telling them that under no circumstances were they to drive a company vehicle out into a feild anymore.
 
A small pump up garden sprayer will do the trick. I used to carry on on a combine that was prone to catch of fire. They are better than a chemical extingusher for putting out hay fires.
 
Maybe a rubber flapper for grass fires would work better. Looks like a shovel but the business end has a flap that slaps out the flames.
 
I have had a couple baler fires over the years , always put them out with ice water from my beer cooler, one more reason to drink cold beer!!! Now the tractors all have extinquishers on them!
 
John S-B is a professional fire fighter with a paid fire department so he should know fire extingushers. He is currently in the hotbed over seas.
 
I started a grass fire once while mowing in very dry conditions, and it had nothing to do with exhaust. It was apparently from a spark from hitting a rock. It was a few minutes before I turned the corner and saw it and it was going good! This was before cell phones were in every day use, but fortunately I had my Fire Dept radio so I was able to call it in. It was quickly extinguished.
 
Years ago we had a MF65 and was plowing corn stocks under. The stocks wood hang on the draw bar and bundle around exhaust, caused a fire if not careful. Also fire bug in dry hay, and grain stubbles.
 
You can usually find 2.5 gallon extinguishers on ebay. Most of the time they cost more to ship than the price of the item.

I saw a deal on I think it was Prairie Farm Report a few years ago where the guys mounted an old pressure tank on the side of their grain truck. Filled it with water, then put a few psi of air in it as well. Had a length of hose attached to it - worked pretty slick. Might have been a compressor tank, I don't recall. I suppose it would have to be a pretty strong vessel to be able to safely put it under pressure.
 
Friend lost an F150 last year, getting stuck in an untilled corn field in the Spring. Just dug himself deeper, set the stalks on fire, destroyed the truck.
 
It was during his first mission, on May 1, 1943 that Staff Sergeant Smith, who was assigned to the ball gun turret, helped save the lives of six of his wounded comrades, put out a blazing fire (with his own urine stored in his catheter bag as was worn by all such airmen), and drove off wave after wave of German fighters.
Above from the Wikipedia biography, not sure if that is your Mr Smith...
 
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